Your vehicle needs to move, stop and turn without skidding or slipping. It is the tyres of your vehicle that fulfil these functions. The design and construction of the tyres influence its behavior on hard, deformed, wet and dry surfaces. Besides the gravitational and aerodynamic forces, there are other major forces applied by the tyres that affect the motion of your vehicle. Here are 5 basic functions that your tyres perform to keep you comfortable and safe on the road.

1. Carry the weight of the vehicle

A tyre is like a rubber casing that holds air. The air that is filled in the tyre is responsible for carrying the weight of the vehicle. A vehicle’s weight moves around the roll center when the vehicle is braking, accelerating, turning or moving forward. For e.g., when brakes are applied as hard as possible, the front suspension gets compressed and a lot of the vehicle’s weight is shifted to the front tyres. Similarly, when you accelerate the weight is shifted to the rear tyres. The weight bearing ability of the tyres depends on the air pressure that is filled in it. Therefore, air is the most important ingredient when it comes to safety and handling performance. A tyre filled with the right air pressure provides good traction and handling. Hence always maintain optimum air pressure in all four tyres and for added benefits you could also go for nitrogen inflation instead of normal air for your tyres.

2. Propel the vehicle without skidding

The tyre is designed to move the vehicle forward. The mechanics of the tyre on a wet surface is different than the mechanics on a dry surface. The tyre tackles different temperatures and road conditions to push the vehicle in the desired direction. Good quality tyres that have the recommended tread depth grip the road better and help the vehicle move without skidding.

3. Provide cushioning to the vehicle against road shock

Road imperfections such as potholes, bumps, cracks etc. contribute to a bumpy ride. Tyres that are in a perfect condition provide a smoother driving experience on rough patches. As the vehicle moves through the irregular surfaces of the road, various systems such as the suspension, shock absorbers, the wheel etc. get affected. But it is the tyre that absorbs the impact first. While dealing with the various forces that act on the vehicle, the tyres also help in absorbing and damping the shocks.

4. Enables vehicle to change direction and turn without slipping

The wheels of your vehicle change direction as you steer the steering wheel. This enables your vehicle to move in the direction that you want. It is the tyres that help your vehicle remain stable as the vehicle changes its trajectory. Along with tyre quality, tread depth, tread pattern, the air pressure in the tyres plays an important role in maintaining vehicle stability while turning.

5. Transmit acceleration, braking and cornering forces to the ground

While a car’s performance is very often judged on how effective its acceleration, braking, handling and cornering is, the fact is, it is the tyre that is responsible for accomplishing the desired performance from the vehicle.The tyre generates and transmits the physical forces such as acceleration, braking and cornering to the road surface. The friction between the tyres and the road is what makes it possible to transmit these forces to the ground.

Besides performing these important functions, tyres play a crucial role in improving fuel efficiency, providing grip on wet and dry roads, ride comfort, handling stability and offering a quiet and smooth ride. They are the most important part of your vehicle when it comes to safety. And this is reason enough for them to deserve regular maintenance and care.